May 16, 2017

Skin Care for Babies!

Happy Tuesday all! Today I’m partnering up with iHerb to talk to you a bit about taking care of baby’s skin! As a dermatology resident we see pediatric patients every week - and the most common condition we see is eczema! And as a mama to 3 crazy girls with skin that ranges from just dry (Liv) to full on super-sensitive/eczema prone (Elli-belly) I know firsthand what it’s like to actually try and put some of the dermatologist knowledge to use!

So today I wanted to share a few tips for baby skin care and a couple of my favorite products. First - did you know that simply using a moisturizer every day in the first 6 months can reduce rates of eczema? My Harvard Med classmate and current dermatology resident in Chicago published an amazing study a few months ago on just this - and they found that daily use of a moisturizer reduced rates of atopic dermatitis (more commonly known as eczema).

They wanted to make a cost-effectiveness argument (since moisturizer isn’t currently covered by insurance), so they really hammered in on the cheapest moisturizer available - petroleum jelly. But I mention it in clinic and I always get a bit of pushback from parents who are worried about its safety. One of our other favorite moisturizers is Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Cream (another brand that was used in the study too)! This (along with the Aveeno Baby Cleansing Therapy Moisturizing Wash) is what I use for Elli Belly and what keeps her skin happiest. This line is recommended by both pediatricians and dermatologists alike!

The key is to take short baths in lukewarm (never hot) water (hot water dries out the skin too much) - in fact now that Elli is a bit older we do showers way more often - they’re easier, she seems to have more fun (we take the shower head off, turn down the pressure, and let her play with it like a sprinkler)! Remember that soap/body wash doesn’t have to lather to be effectively cleansing - I love the Cleansing Therapy Moisturizing Wash, and it doesn’t lather much, which I actually like! The more a product lathers up the more potentially drying soap it has! Immediately after the shower, gently pat dry making sure the skin is still slightly damp - and that’s when you slather on the Eczema Therapy Cream. Elli is super into being independent now so the first thing I do is give her a nice quarter size amount of cream to do with as she pleases, and then she’s more than happy to let me rub her down lol! Before bed with her last diaper change I’ll also put a bit of cream on her - particularly around her elbows and knees.

Liv and Ro don’t have nearly as sensitive skin as El, so with them I don’t use the Eczema Therapy line. Instead for Ro I’m currently using the Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort line (I love the gentle lavender/vanilla scent - more lavender than vanilla for those who haven’t smelled it but I LOVE lavender - I even keep a small roll-on essential oil in my bag and smell it throughout the day)!

For Ro it is so much easier to do sink baths (I love our deep bathtub but it is a killer on my back to get her washed up)! I put a small amount of the Calming Comfort Bath in the sink and fill it with lukewarm water, then we get washed up, making sure to get in between all of her five million deep creases!! She’s a pudge that one! After we rinse making sure we get all of the soap off and then do the same - putting on the Calming Comfort Lotion to still slightly damp skin (but make sure to put on diaper first - more than once Ro has fallen asleep after her little bath and massage before I could even get PJs on)! And new mamas - don’t go crazy about having to give baby a bath every day - they really don’t need it! I give Ro a bath about every other day.

All of my products I ordered through iHerb and it was a great experience - they’re a Google Trusted Store (and you can pay with PayPal as well) and I loved that they even offer 10 cent samples (I love samples)! Shipping was great too (and they ship to over 160 countries)! On top of that they provide customer support in 10 different languages.

PS - Make sure that if baby has dryness or a rash that doesn’t get better with emollients (ie creams/lotions like those mentioned in this post) you see a dermatologist! Anything with significant dryness/scaling/bright red bumps/vesicles/etc may need a doctor’s prescription for either steroid cream, antibiotic cream, or antifungal cream depending on what’s going on, so don’t hesitate to get them seen! All of what I mentioned in my post above is considered more maintenance care for sensitive skin, but if there are any active issues make sure to see a dermatologist for treatment!

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My baby has eczema all over her body and foderma serum really helps. I put on her after bath every day and once in the morning/afternoon too. It does not treat, but is helps she not itching. She is going to get better, I hope!

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Hi! I'm Laura!

Here you'll find bits of the beautiful things in my life - my little family and our home, the clothes I wear and food I eat, things I make, tips from before and during my medical school at Harvard and now some of residency in Dermatology at the University of Miami. I hope you can find some inspiration and take note of all of the beautiful things in your life too!

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